Real-time river flooding
across America.
Live USGS streamgauge readings, FEMA flood zones, NWS flood watches and warnings, and historical context — one map, refreshed throughout the day. Built for flood researchers, emergency managers, and outdoor recreationists.
What's happening right now
An AI-generated daily summary stitched from active streamgauge readings, NWS warnings, and watershed status.
**IMMEDIATE ALERT:** A devastating flooding emergency is unfolding across multiple states as dozens of rivers and watersheds have exploded to extreme and life-threatening levels. The Navasota River in Texas has skyrocketed to an astronomical 25,000% of normal flow, while Kansas's Fall River watershed has reached a staggering 39,700% above typical levels. From the Gulf Coast through the Midwest and into the Southeast, communities are experiencing unprecedented water surges following Tropical Storm Arthur and relentless severe weather systems. Residents in affected areas face immediate danger from rapidly rising waters, with emergency services conducting widespread rescues and the Red Cross expanding relief operations across Louisiana and Mississippi.
The scope of this flooding disaster is truly historic, with critical situations developing in major population centers. In Louisiana, the Calcasieu River near Lake Charles is running at 2,135% of normal, while the Boeuf River has surged to nearly 2,000% above average. Texas communities along the San Gabriel River near Georgetown are facing flows exceeding 7,700% of normal, creating catastrophic conditions. The Neosho River system in Kansas and Oklahoma, flowing through communities like Parsons and Miami, has exploded to nearly 2,900% of normal capacity, threatening widespread devastation. Illinois faces a multi-front crisis as the Illinois River near Peoria runs at 224% of normal while the Kaskaskia River near Carlyle has jumped to 1,658% above typical levels. The situation in Mississippi is equally dire, where the Pascagoula River near Merrill has surged to 1,130% of normal, the Leaf River near Hattiesburg sits at 1,984% above average, and the Chickasawhay River has reached 1,812% of normal flow. In Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, 86 people and 20 pets have already been rescued from floodwaters following Tropical Storm Arthur's remnants, with some areas remaining isolated days after the initial flooding.
Emergency officials are issuing urgent "do not drive" warnings across five states as the flood threat expands along a 1,000-mile corridor from Nebraska to the Florida Panhandle. The Wabash River system in Indiana, flowing through Terre Haute and Vincennes, is running at 187% of normal with tributaries like the Little Wabash near Carmi reaching a catastrophic 3,785% above average. Georgia's Little Satilla River near Offerman has exploded to 8,806% of normal flow, while the Satilla River system threatens communities including Waycross. Alabama's Tombigbee River near Demopolis is surging at 466% of normal capacity, creating dangerous conditions for riverside towns. Arkansas communities along the Arkansas River near Russellville face flows at 1,826% of normal. Authorities warn that post-storm dangers—including compromised infrastructure, contaminated floodwaters, and unstable riverbanks—can be deadlier than the initial storm event. Residents in flood-prone areas are urged to evacuate immediately, avoid all flooded roadways, and file insurance claims promptly as FEMA coordinates with state emergency management agencies to address this multi-state catastrophe.
Rivers currently flooding or rising
Live USGS streamgauge readings aggregated by river. Percent-of-normal compares current flow to the seasonal average.
| River | Observed (cfs) | Seasonal avg (cfs) | vs. Normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Satilla River | 4,390 | 50 | ↑ 8806% of normal |
| Sangamon River | 6,250 | 947 | ↑ 660% of normal |
| Black Warrior River | 13,600 | 3,690 | ↑ 369% of normal |
| Arkansas River | 25,200 | 1,380 | ↑ 1826% of normal |
| Satilla River | 8,320 | 172 | ↑ 4851% of normal |
| Escambia River | 26,600 | 2,470 | ↑ 1077% of normal |
| Wabash River | 109,400 | 58,450 | ↑ 187% of normal |
| Salt River | 447 | 46 | ↑ 978% of normal |
| Cimarron River | 175 | 29 | ↑ 601% of normal |
| Chickasawhay River | 25,000 | 1,380 | ↑ 1812% of normal |
| Delaware River | 1,790 | 189 | ↑ 950% of normal |
| Antoine River | 244 | 25 | ↑ 982% of normal |
| Kaskaskia River | 2,190 | 268 | ↑ 817% of normal |
| Nueces River | 1,460 | 256 | ↑ 571% of normal |
| Pascagoula River | 142,600 | 12,615 | ↑ 1130% of normal |
| Embarras River | 12,770 | 2,009 | ↑ 636% of normal |
| White River | 34,610 | 13,285 | ↑ 261% of normal |
| Wakarusa River | 213 | 15 | ↑ 1420% of normal |
| Shoal River | 4,870 | 587 | ↑ 830% of normal |
| Duck River | 9,686 | 732 | ↑ 1323% of normal |
| Blackwater River | 466 | 57 | ↑ 812% of normal |
| Chariton River | 1,970 | 37 | ↑ 5324% of normal |
| Guyandotte River | 987 | 150 | ↑ 658% of normal |
| Little Wabash River | 10,565 | 279 | ↑ 3785% of normal |
| Conecuh River | 7,440 | 791 | ↑ 941% of normal |
| Edwards River | 3,210 | 369 | ↑ 870% of normal |
| Navasota River | 15,130 | 60 | ↑ 25029% of normal |
| Cedar River | 14 | 132 | 10% of normal |
| Sabine River | 384 | 11 | ↑ 3459% of normal |
| Leaf River | 37,900 | 1,910 | ↑ 1984% of normal |
| Tombigbee River | 110,720 | 23,760 | ↑ 466% of normal |
| Boeuf River | 296 | 15 | ↑ 1941% of normal |
| Little Calumet River | 669 | 62 | ↑ 1079% of normal |
| Buffalo River | 13,095 | 1,086 | ↑ 1205% of normal |
| Cocheco River | 419 | 49 | ↑ 863% of normal |
| Caney River | 2,540 | 64 | ↑ 3994% of normal |
| Blanchard River | 1,283 | 161 | ↑ 798% of normal |
| Lampasas River | 716 | 45 | ↑ 1604% of normal |
| Isinglass River | 344 | 35 | ↑ 996% of normal |
| Alapaha River | 1,160 | 91 | ↑ 1276% of normal |
| Samish River | 36 | 49 | 73% of normal |
| Ottawa River | 204 | 19 | ↑ 1091% of normal |
| Sepulga River | 2,620 | 162 | ↑ 1617% of normal |
| Verdigris River | 14,632 | 587 | ↑ 2493% of normal |
| Sucarnoochee River | 5,500 | 242 | ↑ 2277% of normal |
| Deep River | 1,050 | 88 | ↑ 1193% of normal |
| Raquette River | 2,200 | 273 | ↑ 806% of normal |
| Pearl River | 77,970 | 11,058 | ↑ 705% of normal |
| Neosho River | 129,400 | 4,490 | ↑ 2882% of normal |
| Illinois River | 121,428 | 54,158 | ↑ 224% of normal |
| Calcasieu River | 2,830 | 133 | ↑ 2136% of normal |
| Blue River | 3,850 | 102 | ↑ 3775% of normal |
| Yellow River | 6,590 | 402 | ↑ 1639% of normal |
| Wild Rice River | 59 | 377 | 16% of normal |
| Little River | 1,500 | 175 | ↑ 859% of normal |
Watersheds running elevated
Aggregated by HUC8 watershed code. Useful for catchment-level flood-risk assessment.
| HUC8 code | Watershed | Observed (cfs) | vs. Normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| h07140101 | Cahokia-Joachim | 4,340 | ↑ 687% |
| h03110202 | Alapaha | 1,160 | ↑ 1276% |
| h05140201 | Lower Ohio-Little Pigeon | 380 | ↑ 2754% |
| h11070107 | Bird | 6,110 | ↑ 1869% |
| h11070106 | Caney | 2,540 | ↑ 3994% |
| h11070101 | Upper Verdigris | 232 | ↑ 967% |
| h03110204 | Little | 243 | ↑ 2435% |
| h11070102 | Fall | 2,680 | ↑ 39704% |
| h12040104 | Buffalo-San Jacinto | 211 | ↑ 3836% |
| h12040102 | Spring | 161 | ↑ 813% |
| h05130101 | Upper Cumberland | 407 | ↑ 1696% |
| h03120003 | Lower Ochlockonee | 640 | ↑ 766% |
| h05120111 | Middle Wabash-Busseron | 35,900 | ↑ 197% |
| h05120202 | Lower White | 33,020 | ↑ 251% |
| h03080103 | Lower St. Johns | 65,893 | 54% |
| h08080102 | Bayou Teche | 1,920 | ↑ 1208% |
| h07080104 | Flint-Henderson | 6,580 | ↑ 911% |
| h03140202 | Pea | 7,510 | ↑ 1198% |
| h11110202 | Dardanelle Reservoir | 864 | ↑ 1176% |
| h11110201 | Frog-Mulberry | 225 | ↑ 3299% |
| h08040103 | Little Missouri | 244 | ↑ 982% |
| h05050009 | Coal | 3,242 | ↑ 1345% |
| h11070205 | Middle Neosho | 3,190 | ↑ 36667% |
| h11070103 | Middle Verdigris | 14,400 | ↑ 2558% |
| h11070208 | Elk | 290 | ↑ 792% |
| h11070209 | Lower Neosho | 109,780 | ↑ 3495% |
| h05140104 | Blue-Sinking | 222 | ↑ 890% |
| h03070202 | Little Satilla | 4,390 | ↑ 8806% |
| h03070201 | Satilla | 8,320 | ↑ 4851% |
| h11040008 | Upper Cimarron-Bluff | 175 | ↑ 601% |
| h06030004 | Lower Elk | 8,960 | ↑ 868% |
| h17110002 | Strait Of Georgia | 36 | 73% |
| h05140101 | Silver-Little Kentucky | 346 | ↑ 865% |
| h04100007 | Auglaize | 204 | ↑ 1091% |
| h03170006 | Pascagoula | 142,600 | ↑ 1130% |
| h03170007 | Black | 5,012 | ↑ 990% |
| h03170005 | Lower Leaf | 37,900 | ↑ 1984% |
| h03170003 | Lower Chickasawhay | 25,000 | ↑ 1812% |
| h04100008 | Blanchard | 1,283 | ↑ 798% |
| h03170001 | Chunky-Okatibbee | 1,720 | ↑ 930% |
| h04040001 | Little Calumet-Galien | 1,719 | ↑ 1146% |
| h11140103 | Muddy Boggy | 7,920 | ↑ 2296% |
| h11140102 | Blue | 3,850 | ↑ 3775% |
| h12020007 | Pine Island Bayou | 1,810 | ↑ 3229% |
| h03160113 | Lower Black Warrior | 13,600 | ↑ 369% |
| h11110104 | Robert S. Kerr Reservoir | 1,920 | ↑ 1501% |
| h11110103 | Illinois | 1,012 | ↑ 1075% |
| h03180001 | Upper Pearl | 9,120 | ↑ 3544% |
| h02010003 | Winooski | 1,102 | ↑ 941% |
| h03180003 | Middle Pearl-Silver | 27,300 | ↑ 722% |
| h03180002 | Middle Pearl-Strong | 27,835 | ↑ 1042% |
| h03180004 | Lower Pearl. Mississippi | 20,100 | ↑ 444% |
| h03140103 | Yellow | 11,460 | ↑ 1159% |
| h12070205 | San Gabriel | 1,385 | ↑ 7770% |
| h07120004 | Des Plaines | 1,280 | ↑ 279% |
| h07120003 | Chicago | 409 | ↑ 851% |
| h12070203 | Lampasas | 716 | ↑ 1604% |
| h05100102 | South Fork Licking | 3,930 | ↑ 613% |
| h03130009 | Ichawaynochaway | 691 | ↑ 2026% |
| h12040204 | West Galveston Bay | 716 | ↑ 3127% |
| h03130004 | Lower Chattahoochee | 246 | ↑ 840% |
| h03160106 | Middle Tombigbee-Lubbub | 13,620 | ↑ 290% |
| h12030108 | Richland | 466 | ↑ 5210% |
| h10280203 | Little Chariton | 360 | ↑ 610% |
| h10280201 | Upper Chariton | 1,970 | ↑ 5324% |
| h11140203 | Loggy Bayou | 1,390 | ↑ 4344% |
| h11140208 | Saline Bayou | 535 | ↑ 2892% |
| h08060202 | Lower Big Black | 11,300 | ↑ 1470% |
| h10290101 | Upper Marais Des Cygnes | 1,805 | ↑ 4252% |
| h11010001 | Beaver Reservoir | 2,553 | ↑ 1338% |
| h11010005 | Buffalo | 3,245 | ↑ 906% |
| h05070101 | Upper Guyandotte | 2,387 | ↑ 1163% |
| h12070102 | Yegua | 794 | ↑ 851% |
| h12070103 | Navasota | 15,130 | ↑ 25029% |
| h11130304 | Lower Washita | 489 | ↑ 1498% |
| h10270104 | Lower Kansas | 213 | ↑ 1420% |
| h03160201 | Middle Tombigbee-Chickasaw | 97,100 | ↑ 509% |
| h10270103 | Delaware | 1,790 | ↑ 950% |
| h03160202 | Sucarnoochee | 5,500 | ↑ 2277% |
| h03140104 | Blackwater | 466 | ↑ 812% |
| h11130201 | Farmers-Mud | 440 | ↑ 1639% |
| h12030103 | Elm Fork Trinity | 3,990 | ↑ 747% |
| h12010001 | Upper Sabine | 384 | ↑ 3459% |
| h05120114 | Little Wabash | 10,565 | ↑ 3785% |
| h05120113 | Lower Wabash | 73,500 | ↑ 183% |
| h05120112 | Embarras | 16,390 | ↑ 788% |
| h09020105 | Western Wild Rice | 59 | 16% |
| h12030109 | Chambers | 212 | ↑ 12254% |
| h07110001 | Bear-Wyaconda | 509 | ↑ 1113% |
| h17110012 | Lake Washington | 28 | 54% |
| h11130303 | Middle Washita | 590 | ↑ 2107% |
| h01060003 | Piscataqua-Salmon Falls | 763 | ↑ 918% |
| h08030207 | Big Sunflower | 2,380 | ↑ 643% |
| h10260006 | Middle Smoky Hill | 283 | ↑ 7567% |
| h11140302 | Lower Sulphur | 23,370 | ↑ 92941% |
| h08040206 | Bayou D'Arbonne | 977 | ↑ 4333% |
| h10260008 | Lower Smoky Hill | 1,240 | ↑ 709% |
| h12110105 | Middle Nueces | 1,460 | ↑ 571% |
| h11030014 | North Fork Ninnescah | 528 | ↑ 1067% |
| h11030013 | Middle Arkansas-Slate | 25,200 | ↑ 1826% |
| h11030012 | Little Arkansas | 1,120 | ↑ 679% |
| h08080203 | Upper Calcasieu | 2,830 | ↑ 2136% |
| h03140305 | Escambia | 27,830 | ↑ 1060% |
| h03140302 | Patsaliga | 2,720 | ↑ 1600% |
| h03140303 | Sepulga | 2,620 | ↑ 1617% |
| h03140301 | Upper Conecuh | 7,440 | ↑ 941% |
| h07130011 | Lower Illinois | 71,500 | ↑ 216% |
| h08050001 | Boeuf | 296 | ↑ 1941% |
| h15010015 | Las Vegas Wash | 212 | ↑ 636% |
| h06040004 | Buffalo | 9,850 | ↑ 1353% |
| h04150305 | Raquette | 2,200 | ↑ 806% |
| h07130006 | Upper Sangamon | 6,250 | ↑ 660% |
| h11070206 | Lake O'Cherokees | 27,425 | ↑ 1992% |
| h03150106 | Middle Coosa | 484 | ↑ 864% |
| h11070104 | Elk | 417 | ↑ 1503% |
| h06040003 | Lower Duck | 9,340 | ↑ 1383% |
| h06040002 | Upper Duck | 346 | ↑ 609% |
| h06040001 | Lower Tennessee-Beech | 591 | ↑ 660% |
| h05140102 | Salt | 1,101 | ↑ 778% |
| h05140103 | Rolling Fork | 2,190 | ↑ 725% |
| h07130009 | Salt | 1,330 | ↑ 782% |
| h07140203 | Shoal | 4,550 | ↑ 1572% |
| h07140202 | Middle Kaskaskia | 1,860 | ↑ 16174% |
| h07140201 | Upper Kaskaskia | 2,190 | ↑ 817% |
| h07130001 | Lower Illinois-Senachwine Lake | 49,500 | ↑ 236% |
| h07140204 | Lower Kaskaskia | 422 | ↑ 1658% |
What causes river flooding
Flooding is rarely a single-cause event — multiple factors usually compound. The most common drivers across the U.S.
Heavy rainfall
Persistent rain saturates soils and overwhelms drainage networks. Tropical systems and atmospheric rivers are the worst culprits.
Rapid snowmelt
Spring melt pulses can deliver months of accumulated water in days — especially when warm rain falls on existing snowpack.
Ice jams
Breakup ice can block channels, forcing water to back up and inundate upstream banks. Common on northern rivers in early spring.
Storm surge
Coastal hurricanes push seawater inland. Surge combined with rainfall is the deadliest flood scenario in U.S. history.
Reservoir releases
Controlled dam releases can dramatically increase downstream flow. USACE and USBR publish release schedules, but conditions change fast.
Burn scars
Wildfire-stripped slopes can't absorb rainfall — even modest storms produce dangerous flash floods on burned watersheds for years afterward.
Flood preparedness checklist
Floodwaters rise faster than most people expect. The basics that save lives.
Flood map & river monitoring FAQ
What does "percent of normal" mean?
The current flow at a gauge compared to its seasonal average for this date. 100% means flow is right at the historical norm. 200%+ means twice the typical flow — a strong indicator of flood conditions on small-to-medium rivers.
What's the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning?
Watch: conditions are favorable for flooding within the next 12–48 hours. Warning: flooding is happening or imminent. Both come from the National Weather Service. Snoflo overlays both as toggleable layers on the map above.
How often does Snoflo's data refresh?
USGS streamgauge readings update every 15 minutes; we re-pull every hour. NWS warning polygons update as the NWS issues them — usually within 5 minutes. FEMA flood zones are static (the National Flood Hazard Layer is updated quarterly).
What is the FEMA flood zone layer?
FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) shows the 1%-annual-chance ("100-year") and 0.2%-annual-chance ("500-year") floodplains. These are based on long-term hydrologic modeling, not current conditions. Useful for property risk; not a real-time signal.
Can I get an alert when my local river floods?
Yes. Save any USGS gauge as a favorite in the Snoflo iOS app, set a threshold (e.g. "alert me at 20 ft stage"), and you'll get a push the moment it crosses. Free with a Snoflo account.
Is Snoflo a substitute for official warnings?
No. Snoflo is informational. For life-safety decisions always follow guidance from local emergency management, the NWS, and law enforcement.